Friday 4 December 2009

Spam comments

In the early days of starting this blog, I enabled the `word verification' (captcha) control for submission of comments. I later decided to do away with this step to make it easier for my readers to drop me a line while still maintaining some control by way of moderation.

The absence of this control meant that spam comments can access my blog. Initially, these meaningless comments from god knows where are sporadic. It wasn't much of a hassle to delete them manually. Of late however, the frequency of such comments have become more regular and it is becoming tedious for me to reject them each time I log on. An example of the crap that I get is copied below... this one apparently from Japan :

困っています。 said...
最近寂しくて困っています。夜一人で寝るのが凄く寂しいです…隣で添い寝してくれる男性いませんか?見た目とか特に気にしません。優しくて一緒にいてくれる方大歓迎☆一緒に布団で温まりましょう♪*******@docomo.ne.jp

I am now enabling the captcha feature again (at least in the short term) to see if such spam can be prevented. Sorry to inconvenience my readers on this. Let's see if these jerks can leave my blog alone so that we can return to the norm.

18 comments:

Mata Hari said...

Beria2 komen org jepun tu kan...panjang...tah apa la dia criter agaknya :)

Anonymous said...

Oh dear! I hope that new measure of yours will help although I doubt it.

On the brighter note, you can see this as a left-handed compliment -- ie your blog has received Japanese cult status *laughs*

Zendra-Maria said...

Oldstock-san, did it all start when I taught you a couple of innocent japanese words?

zen

D said...

I must say, word verication prompts on some blogs sometimes put me off because they cause me to type it over again and again and again. Good luck on yours!

Justiffa said...

Oldstock - spam sucks big time.. dont worry about us readers la, do what u have to do, we'll be coming back anyway ;)

Chahya said...

I'm in the same boat, and I did the same too, enable the word verification. And I also add other features: IP tracing, and a detailed posting time.
Just to get the message across to spammers: Don't push it. You're always traceable, even though when you signed in anonymously.
We allow anonymous comments for we respect some people's preference not to be known for valid reasons, but when one's anonymity shows cowardice (baling batu sorok tangan), perversity (porns & foul languages), desperate sales advertising, one is only indicating that he's a big time loser.

Do what you have to do Oldstock.

Chahya said...

Oldstock,
I already know what the japanese person is saying with the help of my sis (she understands Japanese).
It turns out the message is an erotic & horny one.

She (the one who leaves comments in japanese) said she's restless for being lonely lately, and she sleeps alone at night, so she feels so sabishi (lonely). She's asking whether there's any man who would like to accompany her, she doesn't mind how you look. It'd be very warm to be together in the same sleeping blanket (futon).

Oldstock, ni kes teruk ni (lol). Toksah entertain lah hehehe.
Ntah2 exboyfren dia nak mengenakan minah jepun ni kot...

Kalau byk sgt spam tu, disable je la for anonymous comment. They must be desperate perverts.

Fadhil said...

matahari,

Courtesy of Chahya's sister, we now know what that Japanese text says. Sungguh terpesona saya bila membacanya, hehehe :-)

Fadhil said...

Andrea,

Wow... Japanese cult status huh? I must be doing something right :-)

Just to let you know, the Jap comments are responses to my belacan story that was posted in October. Go figure...

Fadhil said...

Zen-san,

Watashi wa Nihongo no ichiban terrible desu ne...

In the light of the info from Chahya's latest comment, you could possibly be right :-)

Fadhil said...

D,

One of the reasons I initially disable word veri is just as you have mentioned. It seems that the captcha control has a time limit. If you are typing a long comment and do not submit it in time, the word veri box refreshes and you may have to resubmit your comment again.

But I hope you would still continue to comment in my blog, right?

Fadhil said...

Justiffa,

I am most heartened to read your comment. Thank you :-)

Fadhil said...

Chahya,

1. I noticed the IP tracking when I popped over to your place yesterday. Wah... you ada cyber-stalker ke?

2. Thanks to your sister for the translation of the Japanese text. Now... you have got us all intrigued. I think I'd better edit the text to remove the email address, otherwise some of the male readers might be tempted to try, heheheh...

I'm not disabling anonymous comments yet because some commenters do not have blogger profiles. Let's see how effective word veri is for now, shall we?

Rina said...

Ada male readers di sini? (No offense).. :)

Rina

Fadhil said...

Rina,

Probably some of the male readers have already tried that email, heheheh... no need to let others know :-)

Chahya said...

Dear Oldstock,
just to let you know my IP tracing & word veri manage to shoo the spammers away :D

Pat said...

I've had to do the same :(

I've also had comments like the one you mention; but I also have idiots who say silly things, or the one who keeps writing 'not funny' after my posts!

It's lovely to just hit 'delete'!!!

Fadhil said...

-> Chahya,

I'm happy for you :-)

-> Pat,

What? Someone writing `not funny'? That's cruel. If only there is a way that we can spam back the spammers...